The Changing Seasons – October 2018

“Creative” shopping

At the beginning of October I felt the deep and irresistible urge to pay my favorite DIY store a visit. 😉

It´s part of the second largest department store in Europe after Harrod´s in London and it is called the “Kaufhaus des Westens” – Department Store of the West – which is usually abbreviated to KaDeWe.

The store – located on Tauentzienstraße, a major shopping street, between Wittenbergplatz and Breitscheidplatz, near the centre of the former West Berlin – was founded in 1907 and specializes in high end products and luxury goods. The KaDeWe has eight floors, each focused on a different type of merchandise.

The KaDeWe on Tauentzienstraße, Berlin (Oct 2018)

During World War II, Allied bombing ruined most of the store, with one shot-down American bomber actually crashing into it in 1943. Most of the store was gutted, which caused its closure. The re-opening of the first two floors was celebrated in 1950.

Full reconstruction of all seven floors was finished by 1956. The “KaDeWe” soon became a symbol of the regained economic power of West Germany during the “Wirtschaftswunder”, the economic boom, as well as emblematic of the material prosperity of West Berlin versus that of the East.

the fabric section of the DIY department (Oct 2018)

The DIY department is actually not part of the KaDeWe building itself but situated in a little side street right opposite the building on basement level.

In Germany it´s actually illegal taking pictures from inside any store or building without permission which is why I asked the manager beforehand if it would be okay for me to take a couple of pictures for my blog. The manager was so pleased that I did ask, that she granted me to take two pictures giving an overall view of the store. 🙂

All kinds of wool (Oct 2018)

I´m not really much of a shopper and normally tend to head straight for the things I plan on buying but this is the kind of shop I can spend hours in. 😉

In the end though, I only bought what I came for, namely a couple of new pencils, as my favorite one has been used to a stub!

I´m sure you can see which one I´m talking about. 😉

My pencils (Oct 2018)

My new Faber-Castell HB pencil!! (Oct 2018)

And then I couldn’t resist getting also one more graphite pencil that can be used as water color (Aquarell in German) which I only knew of colored pencils so far.

And my new Graphite Aquarell pencil (Oct 2018)

Experimenting

In October, for the first time, I also did some experimenting with a painting technique called “Acrylic pouring”.

Acrylic pouring is an innovative way to use acrylic paints to create a piece of art. Instead of using tools like brushes or knives the fluid paints can be poured directly onto the surface which allows for the colors to blend naturally as they come in contact with each other.

Because it´s Autumn and all around me orange seems to be the main color, I opted for this to be my main paint in this picture, accompanied by some purple, black and white.

The effects are always unforeseeable, so I was very excited when I finally turned my cup of mixed paints and let it loose on the canvas.

A Whirl of Colours – acrylic pouring painting (Oct 2018)

It didn´t turn out quite as spectacular as I was hoping for but nevertheless I am quite pleased with the result and am planning on doing this again soon. 🙂

An unexpected surprise

And an unexpected surprise to me was, that my hibiscus plant decided to gift me with one more marvelous flower this late in the season! Isn´t it just beautiful?

A late bloomer – hibiscus flower (Oct 2018)

A new project

And a couple of days ago I started with a new project which I plan to share with you step by step: I´m trying to create a chess play using clay!

Little mice pawns made of white clay (Oct 2018)

My theme is going to be forest animals, and I started with forming little mice as pawns.

Mice pawns (Oct 2018)

So far I´ve managed 7 out of 16. And I´m hoping to have this finished by Christmas.

Detail clay mice (Oct 2018)

I only started playing chess early this year and find it very entertaining, challenging and fascinating.

Clay mice (Oct 2018)

Do you play chess?

And here are the guidelines for The Changing Season if you’re interested in participating:

The Changing Seasons Version One (photographic):

Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month

Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.

Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them

I’ve been reading a lot of posts featuring WWII. On the other hand, Faber castell is a name i haven’t heard since i was still a kid. I used them when i painted… a long time ago. The acrylics part, i had a teacher who would tell us to drop small dolops of different colors on the center of A4 paper then fold the paper, and squeeze the paint inside before opening. I had a black and purple one that ooked like a butterfly shadow. I wonder where it went.

Thank you very much for your lovely comment, Jina! I think it’s important that we keep remembering WWII in our posts or stories. And I like how your teacher let you drop small dolops of paint to then fold up and thus create unique pieces of art. The special charme of these is their unpredictability I think, very unlike on how we treat words for example which need a certain structure to make sense.
Have a wonderful and creative day!

What a history of that story and beautiful place it has become… a tribute to creativity and rebirth. 🙂 The acrylic pouring experimentation is so interesting, Sarah. I love playing with paint and that looks like pure play. 🙂 And the mice are adorable. Have fun with the changing season.

I love this post and I think your chest set project is a fabulous idea. Can’t wait to see when it is done. Jill’s book looks very interesting indeed. I’ll look for it because I can’t resist anything from Tiffany’s either! You know how much I like to be fancy sometimes… Fancy but never fussy though. Have a great week ahead Sarah.

Thank you very much, Dominique! The mice are done now and I hope I’ll have some time during the weekend to start with the rest of the set. Tiffany’s – who could resist it, right? 😉 Have a wonderful day! Xoxoxo 💕

Thank you, Chris! It´s fun doing these little clay animals, I´m through with the mice now and will start with the rest of the pieces this week, I think a stag for the king would be nice. 🙂
Next time you visit Berlin I´ll take you to the KaDeWe! 😀 Happy November! Cheers!

hehe I relate to your favourite pencil being worn down to a stub 😉 That’s cool that the shop let you take a photo 🙂 That painting is really cool!!! The hibiscus is beautiful 🙂 And that’s incredible that you’re making a chess set out of clay- I love those little mice!! 😀 ❤

Aww – thanks so much!!! 😀 Yes, those favorite pencils have a very short life expectancy, don´t they? 😉 And I hope that whoever is going to play with me chess will be totally distracted by those cute mice! 😉 Have an awesome week! 💕

hey Sarah, I don’t play chess, but I know the rules, I learned to play as a child but I don’t play anymore, but I’d like to play with your pawns they are very cute … Your painting is spectacular, acrylic pouring must be a lot of fun but if you are not talented it must turn out awful !!! … Have a nice weekend !!!

Thank you very much! I really like chess and wished someone had taught me how to play it when I was a kid, but better late than never. 😉
There’s actually no talent whatsoever required for acrylic pouring!! Just have a look on YouTube – it’s perfectly simple and the results can be spectacular. Bonne weekend à toi aussi!!! 😄

Sarah, I had so much fun reading this post and reminiscing about the wonderful department stores of my youth. They are all nearly closed now and it’s sad that such an industrious era is gone. When I was in college, I worked in several of those big stores, each more beautifully designed than the next and devoted to serving the customers as well as showing off the merchandise in creative ways. One store even hired young women to pose as living mannequins.

Your art is a delight to see. I bet it was so much fun to do the acrylic pour. Your result is explosive, the colors vibrant. It looks as if the colors are still moving. Do you know the work of Morris Louis, famous for color field and stain paintings, and Jackson Pollock, famous for drip paintings? My students enjoyed studying these artists and creating their own drip and stain and splatter paintings.

The mice pawns are adorable, each with its own personality. I can’t wait to see the rest of the chess pieces and the board. You’ve got a big project to complete by Christmas but I have no doubt you’ll succeed.

I don’t have to wish you a creative week – it would be redundant – so I’ll wish you plenty of time to express yourself.
Shari

Thank you so much, Shari! Ahh, the department stores of your youth sound exactly what I imagined them to be like, glamorous and special. 😊 It’s a shame really that shopping has changed so much. It’s not about the experience anymore but only about what you come away with.
The acrylic pouring definitely was a lot of fun and it comes to go surprise to me that you mention these two outstanding artists. I admit I felt a bit like Pollock having fun with the paints. 😉 Kids have an intuitive understanding for their art and are really great expressing themselves like that.

Only 3 more mice to go and then I’m going to work on the rest of the set! 😄

And your wish is perfect as there always seems not to be enough time for all the things I wanna do! 😄

Thanks so much, Ju-Lyn! I’ll definitely share the rest of the chess set as soon as I’ve made it, only 3 more mice to go and then I’ll start with the rest. 😉
It certainly has a lot in common with Harrods, even when it comes to the pricing – lol! 😂

I think your acrylic pouring painting came out great! And I love the colors you chose. As for the store, I love it! Sadly, the kind of store I can happily spend hours in are becoming very rare in the states. We either have ugly “big box stores” where it is impossible to find anything, or bargain clothing stores where the merchandise is all jumbled together, some of it even on the floor. I love old-fashioned department stores where everything is neatly displayed, especially the DYI sections! You are lucky to have that, and I certainly enjoyed reading about it!

Thank you very much, Ann! And I’m glad you enjoyed this post. 😊 These kind of department stores are my favourite and as you say we’re lucky to have them still. But it will be only for so long I think, malls are shooting up everywhere these days and much to my surprise most people seem to prefer them. Either that or online shopping. I think this goes for most countries nowadays, even in Venice 1-Euro shops and factory outlets become the norm. So I will enjoy shopping in the KaDeWe as long as possible. 😄

Love the history lesson. It’s amazing how long it took to reopen this store. And your drawings–no surprise–are enticing. What really got my attention was the German law not allowing you to take pictures inside the store. It actually makes sense. This is why I’ve begun to say, “according to US laws”–in this internet age, so many are from all over the world. It is important to be cautious and respectful.

This was a fun post for me. Though I do not play or understand chess or most games for that matter, I love that you are creating your own pieces. The acrylic pouring looks a little on the line of my friend, Pauline’s alcohol ink drawings. She’s https://thecontentedcrafter.com/. My sister even tried her hand at it as well but didn’t stick with it long enough. That DIY store would be my downfall. I would spend hours in there looking at fabric. Our giant fabric store just closed. Poor management. All the little quilt stores are closing too. Things are changing everywhere but that building is so grand I would love to just wander through it. I need nothing but it’s so inspiring to just wander around for fresh ideas. Keep playing with your pencils. Good things come from them.

I´m not quite sure I understand the game myself. 😉 But it is a lot of fun and that´s all that counts for me! And I really enjoy doing the pieces myself. The most difficult part is to make them all nearly the same size, some are much bigger than others! But then this way no one could doubt that they´re handmade. 😉
Thanks for the link to Pauline´s alcohol ink drawings, I´ve heard of that but haven´t seen it yet so I´ll make sure to drop by her blog soon. 🙂
Hehe! Yes, that DIY store is my downfall as well. 😉 I actually plan another visit for tomorrow and my purse trembles in fear! LOL! 😀
It´s too bad that that lovely giant fabric store of yours has closed down, I remember it from your photos and thought it was fantastic. It´s so sad all these little shops closing everywhere, I really miss them, especially the bookstores. Nowadays it´s malls only or online shopping which I have to admit I do as well.
And you´re so right about just wandering around these buildings and gather new ideas, that´s exactly what I do to – our little artist´s date, right? 😉
Have a lovely day, my friend! Hugs!

I am not sure it is the same in USA. I normally go by observing no photograph sign up front. However, I think it may come down to the personals attending the stores. They may not like seeing people taking pictures in store even though you may be able to do so by law.

What a great post, Sarah! That store looks enticing. I think I would love it! 🙂 I’m glad you got the pencils you wanted and your Whirl of Color is fabulous. So vibrant and gorgeous! Your hibiscus is also beautiful and your mice are adorable! You are creative, my friend! I’m not a chess player, but my husband and kids are. In fact, years ago, my husband made an oak table with a chess board in the middle. We still have it, and many have played on that table. 🙂 I hope you share the final product when you’re finished. Happy Halloween and hugs! 🎃🎉❤

Thank you so much, Lauren! Wow! I would love to see that table your husband made! That´s so special. 🙂 I think with all those fabulous new board games and such, chess has become a bit out of fashion, though I always think oldies are goldies. 😉 I´m not particularly good at chess but I do like the challenge. 🙂 My hope is that with the new set the pieces will know better than I what to do! 😉 LOL!
Hope you had a lovely Halloween! Much love! ❤

What a variety of topics all wrapped up in one post, Sarah! In my youth I have been in both parts of Berlin, when the city was still divided. I never had the opportunity to visit KaDeWe. The high quality pencils from Faber-Castello are well known in the entire world. Have a great day and thanks for sharing your fabulous art projects!

It’s been quite a busy month and it feels great to share some of it with my friends here. 😄 I don’t go often to the KaDeWe – a bit too pricey for my taste 😉 – but when I do it’s always special. There’s also a wonderful gourmet food department that’s just amazing and I’ll see if I can make some shots next time. 😉
Faber- Castell really is my favourite brand when it comes to art supplies – good to know I can get it everywhere in the world nowadays. 😄 Have a wonderful day too!

Sarah, what a super month you’ve had. How kind of the manager at the store to allow you to take a couple of photos. I’m glad we got to see inside. I love your flower. Maybe you could model one in clay one day. I love your mice too. How long does it take to make one mouse? Regards. Tracy.

Thank you, Tracy! 😄 I’d love to form this flower with clay but I’m not sure if I can do its delicacy justice. 😁 Maybe one day and if I do I’ll of course share it with you. I need about 20 minutes for one mouse sometimes a bit less than that. The tinier the more difficult it gets!

Great post, Sarah! I have fond memories of visiting the large department stories when we’d go see my grandmother. Sadly, the stand-alone stores have all closed, or most have. I miss them. Here is a book you might enjoy:

I love your chess set! I’ve never played the game…I guess I always assumed I wasn’t bright enough. 🙂

Thank you, Jill! 😄 Sadly the department stores around here also vanish more and more which is so sad looking at the history of these buildings and the new day of life they allowed (no tailored clothes that looked good and were affordable and things like that). And thanks for the link, I think I’d love this book!! It’s exactly my kind of book! (Who could resist anything from Tiffany’s, right?) There’s a little TV series called ‘Selfridges’ that’s also circled around that theme – really good!
The chess rules aren’t actually that difficult, it’s the thinking ahead and strategizing that drives me crazy! 😂

There is so much to love here Sarah.
I think I would enjoy the department store — even though I’m not a shopper (and I have totally avoided malls and department stores on this trip to Sydney).
I really like your acrylic pouring; definitely an process I think you should explore more.
I am so impressed with your chess set! Chess is a game my brain simply doesn’t “get” though I was taught to play many years ago. I used to own a very cool set – all the pieces here based on silent movie characters— so keystone cops were the pawns, Mae West was the Queen, Charlie Chaplin was the King, etc. I loved it — but still never really learned how to play properly. 😀 xxxxx

Thanks so much, Su! 😄 I really think you’d like this shop too. 😉 I actually plan to go there this Friday to get that professional pouring medium I was talking about, it’s quite pricey – about 45 Euros – but I think it will be worth it. 😊
Ooh! And I love the sound of your chess set! Very cool idea! I’ve been now toying with so many of them in case I find the time to create more. I don’t know if I’m any good at chess – probably not😁 – but I enjoy playing it. Xxxxxxx

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